Corruption
by ImagineBaggins
Summary: Thorin's suspicions are true: the Arkenstone has been taken...by one of his nephews. {BoTFA re-imagining. No slash. Rated T for fantasy violence, nothing more.}
1. Erebor

**First off, I need to explain some things. This is perhaps my version of BoTFA, or maybe my twist on it. To be honest, there was a lot I disliked about the movie and to heal my heart I have decided to write this.**

**In this story, Tauriel does not exist. Bilbo never found the Arkenstone, Kili's leg was treated by Oin, Laketown wasn't fully burned to the ground and right now there is no war. Remember, this is my twist on things so it will be completely unlike what happened. :) The story focuses mainly on the Durin's but I plan to have plenty of Bilbo and the other dwarves, too!**

**~Jackie**

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><p><em>"Find that Arkenstone."<em>

The command was not an easy one to fulfill.

Halls filled with gold and jewels, chests of gold and gemstones of every color. At first, both nephews of Thorin Oakenshield had been awestruck by the very sight, but it soon became apparent that this treasure hoard was not all that it seemed...the treasure was worthless to the king, it meant nothing without this fabled Arkenstone. A stone that gave him the utmost power, power which he desired and longed for so badly.

_"Where is it?! I will have this entire room EMPTIED before we stop our search."_

Kili glanced up as he overheard his uncle's angry tirade, likely taking it out on Balin or Bilbo; one of the company who had tried time and time again to calm him down. Thorin had been so cold lately, so heartless and intimidating...the change in him was obvious, and the youngest Durin knew that his brother noticed as well.

The blonde dwarf was a few feet away, glancing up through an overstuffed chest he was sorting through. "How do we even know what this Arkenstone looks like?" Fili was exasperated, wishing that they might find this stone already in order to keep their uncle happy. "I've seen hundreds, if not thousands of gemstones."

"Balin said that we will know it when we see it," Kili merely shrugged, pouring out a vase that had been filled to the brim with gold. The contents were enough to last a lifetime; much more money than they had ever seen during their life in the Blue Mountains. The thought of their home made his heart ache, and he instinctively reached into the pocket of his coat, rubbing his thumb over the engraved markings of the stone that Dis had given him. "Fili...why has he been like this? He's changed so much...Thorin isn't the same anymore."

Fili tossed aside the emptied chest, looking to his little brother now, seeing the sadness conveyed in his deep brown eyes. "He's been under a great deal of stress, Kili...Thorin will improve once we've found the stone," he clasped a hand to his shoulder, offering a smile, though there was nothing behind it. "Come on, I'm starving...we've been at this for half a day now. Lets get something to eat."

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><p>Both dwarves had made their way to the 'living area', a smaller pantry-like room in which supplies were kept and where the company would sleep at night. After a good four days, food was running out, and Fili found himself wondering how long it would be before they needed to go out to hunt or return to Laketown in order to replenish their supply.<p>

Every room felt cold and grim, dreary and depressing. For so long Thorin had told his nephews stories of Erebor, their great kingdom, their treasure that had been taken from them...but now that he was here, Kili wondered if the stories had been better than the actual thing.

Fili handed a plate of food to the younger, taking a seat next to him on the floor. "Well, you're quiet," he stated, having noticed a change in his mood ever since they'd returned to their kingdom. "Is your leg bothering you?" Oin had remedied his injury the best to his ability, but he could tell that the wound still caused his brother pain.

"I'm alright." Kili accepted the plate, weary after four days of nonstop searching. They'd barely a moment to themselves without Thorin barking a new order, demanding that a different area of the mountain be scoped out. "I'm quiet because there's not much to say," he answered lowly, eating some of the bread he'd been presented with.

Fili wasn't sure how to respond. In truth, he felt unsettled by Thorin's swift change of mood, though he was unsure how to address it. By being second in line, he felt it his duty to confront Thorin, though he was unsure how much headway he would be able to make. "Would you like me to speak with him?"

Kili glanced over to his brother, a little surprised. Fili often seemed to read his thoughts, he always seemed to know what upset him. "No...best not." The idea of Thorin and Fili getting into a disagreement was too much to bear right now; they seldom were at odds, but right now their uncle was unpredictable. "I've noticed Bilbo speak to him several times, he's had no luck. Uncle only gets angrier, he hates to be challenged."

As if on cue, Bilbo rounded the corner then, his posture tense and his fists clenched at his sides. "Out of all the most stubborn,_ impossible _dwarves-" the hobbit ranted to himself, snatching an apple from one of the bags of food strewn about. "I have had ENOUGH of dwarves for this lifetime and the next!"

Fili exchanged glances with his brother, awkwardly clearing his throat. Their burglar hadn't noticed them in their corner. "Bilbo?"

Bilbo's eyes widened in surprise, his gaze settling on the two younger Durin's. "Fili...Kili...I didn't see you there," he looked a bit embarrassed, taking a seat to an overturned barrel. "I assume there's been no luck with finding the stone?"

"None at all." Kili answered, tossing away a piece of the bread that had gotten moldy. Bilbo was clearly upset, and it wasn't difficult to figure out the reason behind it. "Thorin again?"

Bilbo merely nodded, polishing the apple off with the sleeve of his blue coat. "Yes. I've tried to talk some sense into him; he won't eat, won't sleep, he only paces around, obsessing...giving orders...I've come to wonder if this Arkenstone even exists."

"It exists." Fili sounded sure, as if he had seen it himself. "There's plenty of treasure...it could be buried deep, locked away in a chest..."

"Or it isn't here. How are we to know that Smaug hasn't taken it when he fled?" Kili frowned, unable to forget the sight of the dragon flying over Laketown. The beast had taken a portion of the town with it before Bard had killed the foul monster. "What if we never find it?"

Bilbo's gaze seemed far away, turning the apple over in his hands a few times as he considered Kili's words. "Sometimes...I wonder if that would be for the best."


	2. Whispers

**Chapter 2! Thank you to everyone who has followed, reviewed, or favorited the story thus far. While I was writing I kept getting emails notifying me of this and it pushed me to write. Finished this in one day, not too shabby. ~Jackie**

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><p><em>"Thorin, you need to eat."<em>

_"Have you rested at all?"_

_"We will find it; obsessing over this will solve nothing."_

_"We're growing concerned for you, Thorin..."_

_**Excuses...excuses...excuses.**_

Every word that came from Balin, Dwalin, or Bilbo's mouth was either an empty promise, a lecture of sorts, or advice. Advice that he did not need, did not want, nor would he accept.

"I want the Arkenstone," Thorin would tell them at the end of every confrontation, his voice either laden with grief or vicious with anger. Did they not understand the importance? The value, _the power_ that this stone had to offer?

The company ate. They slept. They carried on as if all was well, they acted as if the Arkenstone_ did not matter_, they acted as if it were a lost cause, that it did not exist, that it was not "worth" the search, the time and the effort...why did they not understand? The very idea drove the king mad, and he paced, the thoughts repeating themselves over and over within his clouded mind. Even Fili, his golden haired nephew...he was to inherit this one day...how did he not realize the importance of this?

"Thorin, I am only trying to help you. Perhaps...I do not quite understand the importance of this Arkenstone, but I do know that your behavior has changed drastically." Bilbo watched the king, astounded by the change that four days had to offer. Thorin no longer stood tall and proud, he appeared nearly hunched over, his eyes had dark circles around them from days of no sleep, he was not the strong, noble dwarf he had remembered showing up to his door in the Shire. "We are worried for your well being-you have reclaimed your homeland, is that not enough?"

Thorin's gaze snapped up, delivering a icy stare that would shut up even the most rowdy of dwarves. "Without the Arkenstone this kingdom means NOTHING," he slammed his fist against the back of the throne, his voice a roar near the end before it lowered. "You do not understand, Bilbo...you do not realize...you are merely a hobbit," he smiled a sick, forlorn smile, as if he pitied the burglar for not knowing the power of the stone he desired so greatly. "You could never understand."

Bilbo looked at him before dropping his gaze, rocking back on his heels a moment as he grasped for words in which to reply. "You've changed, Thorin...there is a sickness that lies upon this mountain, this...gold," he glanced up to the crown that rested upon his head. "It has blinded you to what truly matters. When will you give the people of Laketown the pay you've promised them? They need it to rebuild, they-"

"Until I have retrieved what is rightfully mine they will receive _nothing._"

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><p>Kili wasn't sure what woke him. After having eaten, the youngest had listened to his brother and Bilbo talk a while. Normally, he would have chattered on with them, but the events of the past few days had caught up with him and he had drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.<p>

Now he was awake, lying on his side, spotting Fili passed out next to him. Something felt wrong...amiss. Out of place. Sitting up, Kili hissed a breath as he felt the pain from his arrow wound ache in protest against the movement. Oin had patched it up best to his ability, but it still hurt, and he did his best to keep his pain hidden from his elder brother.

Rising slowly, the prince looked around the darkened room. No longer did light seep in through the window, and so he knew he had slept several hours. Through the darkness he could make out the figures of the rest of the company sleeping, worn out after another day's search.

To his confusion, he found an extra coat over his shoulders, and he recognized it as Fili's. The prince managed a touched smile as he returned it to his brother, careful to cover him up. _Always so selfless._

Taking a few steps, Kili found himself in the hallway, the large corridor lead to dozens of others. When they'd been granted a bit of time, he and Fili had explored where they could, though they hadn't gotten far, and many rooms seemed to mimic the others. At times the corridors felt like a maze; Fili had joked that they may find themselves lost within their own kingdom. Kili had laughed lightly at the comment, but a thought had pierced his mind: _Thorin has been lost to us the moment we've arrived._

What felt so wrong? Kili shivered a little against the cold, walking in almost a trance-like state despite the protest in his leg. Something felt off about his heartbeat, it felt irregular and his breath felt as if it came with some difficulty. Still, he continued on, having no idea where he was going, feeling_ drawn_ to something.

_I should go back..._

_Why am I out here?_

So many thoughts went through his mind, and the prince could almost feel a throbbing pulse, he felt something near by...he _sensed_ a presence. The halls were so quiet now, without the clamor of dwarves, without the ruckus of gold coins being scattered and strewn about as the elusive Arkenstone was so desperately searched for.

Before he knew it, Kili found himself in the main hall, the room Smaug had resided for so many years. Thorin was nowhere in sight...no one was around, all was quiet and yet he heard whispers, he heard something calling to him.

Unable to fight it, the prince limped down the stairs that lead to the gold, the gold that he had grown tired of looking upon. "I should go back..." he whispered to himself shakily, unable to fight the urge to keep moving forward. _Where am I going? _

The prince walked over the gold, tripping over larger gems, falling once or twice when he had lost his footing. The treasure was not easy to walk across, and he found himself wondering how their burglar had evaded Smaug with such difficult terrain to tread across.

The farther he walked, the less easy breathing became. Kili felt as if his body were under a heavy pressure, as if walking was becoming an impossible task. The whispers in his mind increased, though nothing could be deciphered, he was terribly confused and the longer this went on the more frightened he became. "Fili?" He choked out his brother's name, desperate for help, for someone to forcibly drag him away from their inheritance, but he was all alone...and he was helpless.

As if by an invisible force, Kili was shoved to his knees, and he couldn't help himself as he started to push gold aside, the whispering increased, almost as if a dark spell being repeated over and over and _over..._

_Stop this...I need to stop this..._

_This is a nightmare, isn't it? I need to wake up..._

Sweat build up upon his brow despite the cold, and Kili continued to paw his way through the hoard of treasure. What was he searching for? Shoving aside an empty chest with what felt his last bit of strength, he felt his breath hitch as the gold beneath his knees seemed to glow slightly, almost as if something were underneath...his own heartbeat seemed to thunder in his ears, drowning out the voices within his mind.

Now, Kili worked willingly, his fear was cast aside as both excitement and curiosity took over his senses. The more treasure he pushed away, the brighter the glow became, and finally, after what felt an age...he saw it.

Lodged underneath what appeared a buried broken pillar was the single most beautiful jewel the young prince had ever seen. The color was white, it appeared pure and unscathed while every color of the rainbow seemed to glint off of it. With trembling fingers, Kili worked to free the gem from its imprisonment. Careless, he had scraped his hand against the broken pillar but he was uncaring, unthinking as he worked his new treasure free.

"Come on.." Teeth grit, Kili pulled as hard as he could, and suddenly the stone gave way. The prince fell back, but he had his prize, and as the gold coins rained down from his sudden shift of weight, he could only stare wordlessly.

The whispers stopped, all was deathly quiet and still. The closer he looked, the more beautiful the stone became: a faint smoke, almost ghost-like haze surrounded the rock...this was unlike any others he had ever seen, and Balin's voice seemed to echo in his thoughts_. ''It is unlike any other jewel...you will know it when you see it, lads...'_

A smile crossed his face, and Kili laughed softly in complete disbelief, turning the smooth, perfect stone over in shock. _The Arkenstone. _


	3. Betrayal

**Chapter 3! Gave me some trouble but here it is. Fili fans, do not worry. I realize Fili hasn't had_ that_ much time in the story yet, but right now a lot is going on and I wanted to have a little bit of Bilbo's POV. Fili's POV to come! Thank you again for following/faving/reviewing. **

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><p>Bilbo had woken before all of the others, or so he had thought.<p>

The hobbit pulled his blanket a bit tighter around his shoulders, keeping to his side as he looked to the room of dwarves. The room was cold and without much protection from the chill outdoors, resulting in a rather bothersome runny nose.

Sniffling, Bilbo reached to his pocket for a handkerchief Nori had been so kind to give him. (He suspected the dwarf had lifted the fine piece of linen out of Rivendell, though said nothing to imply this, unwishing to offend).

Regardless how the handkerchief came about, Bilbo was grateful for it. The scrap of coat Bofur had given him was thrown away long ago, and the hobbit allowed a smile to cross his weary features at the memory. The more time passed, the more he took a liking to this ragtag group of dwarves.

Normally, Bilbo would have relished the chance to sleep a while longer. While on the road, it was often late to bed, early to rise. Durin's day had been their main priority for a while, it had been their deadline. The deadline had been met, but now there was another concern...something that kept their journey from being completed. The Arkenstone was nowhere to be found, and until it was, he feared no peace would come for the King under the Mountain.

Bilbo's mind was clouded, heavy and troubled. Thorin concerned him; his temperament had changed so drastically, he was sick...not right in the head. As the days went on, he grew worse, he spoke less and less sense, he started to suspect the others. The king now searched for someone to blame, he_ needed_ someone to blame, he was driving himself mad otherwise.

How long would this go on? Kili's concerns from the previous day struck his mind. '_What if we never find it?' _Bilbo shivered involuntarily, startled as he overheard footsteps. Was it Thorin? Perhaps he had finally given in to fatigue and was coming to seek rest.

The hobbit did not move, blue eyes settled near the doorway. Contrary to what he'd thought, in walked Kili. Or, rather, he limped. Ever since his arrow wound, Bilbo had noticed his difficulty in walking, though the prince was good at hiding it around the company.

Kili looked around a little, and Bilbo closed his eyes when he felt his gaze fall towards him. Something was strange about the way he was acting, almost as if he were trying to hide the fact that he had returned.

The brunette made his way back towards his brother's side, though he did not lie down, he only sat, his back propped against the wall as he slowly turned something over in his hands before finally pocketing it.

Bilbo felt his heart soften a bit. No doubt the youngest member of the company was missing home. Kili had shown him the runestone his mother had given him; a promise to return, he had said. Though he would never say so, Bilbo had seen the prince look to it quite often, especially come nightfall when he believed no one was watching. The hobbit could relate with the feeling of being homesick; there were times in which his beloved Shire felt a lifetime away.

Bilbo was unsure how long he lie there, but thoughts of his home crept into his mind, cloaking his troubles, allowing him a sense of inner peace. Eventually the hobbit drifted back to sleep, unaware that the ever-elusive Arkenstone was so very nearby.

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><p>Kili tried.<p>

Multiple times.

The words would have been simple: _I found the Arkenstone._

And yet...he couldn't say them.

Morning had come and the company woke before dawn. Kili hadn't slept after finding the treasure, he couldn't find it in him to rest, only to think, to _obsess _over what had been found.

What if Bilbo was right? What if it was best that Thorin never had it? Such thoughts were treason, he knew, and yet every time the opportunity presented itself, he could not find it within himself to reveal that he had the Arkenstone, he could not bring himself to admit that he carried the treasure within the inside pocket of his coat, that he held it and had to look at it multiple times within the day to ensure his prize hadn't been lost.

_"Kili?"_

The prince glanced up in shock, snapped out of his thoughts. "What?"

Fili frowned, annoyed to repeat himself for what felt the hundredth time. "I asked what you thought."

Kili wished he had a reply, but he didn't. In truth, he did not know what his brother had said, so busy in his own thoughts he hadn't heard a word. "About...?"

Fili pushed aside a piece of what looked to be a broken pillar, working to search the area underneath it. "Have you been listening to I word I've said? I asked what you thought about Thorin." There was a pause as he looked to him dubiously, but he went on. "It's been five days, Kili. I overheard Balin speaking with Oin...Thorin is falling ill, he will become too weak to rule his own kingdom if he keeps this up." The blonde straightened up now, sore from being hunched over piles of gold all day. "I intend to speak with him."

Fili had his brother's attention now, and he could see a look of both fear and hesitation mingle upon his face. "Are you sure? You heard him...he doesn't wish to be disturbed unless it's news about the Arkenstone." The reply was low, almost mumbled, as if such a topic brought him discomfort.

"I did, but I also heard what Oin had to say." Fili took a moment to study his brother, finding his behavior odd and unlike him. "Is your leg troubling you again?" This was the only explanation he could think of, and he nodded for him to sit down. "Let me take a look."

"I'm _fine_." Kili nearly snapped in response, suddenly agitated. "We're not supposed to stop searching, remember?" How guilty he felt, that all members of their company were looking for the very object he now possessed. Why couldn't he tell Fili? Something was holding him back, and to his dismay he could not figure out what.

Fili raised an eyebrow, though he did not further press nor insist to see the wound. Kili could be rather touchy when it came to injuries, he always wanted to handle things himself, to prove he didn't need help. "Have Oin look at it, then. Might give you something to ease the pain."

"I will," Kili mumbled, avoiding eye contact as he pretended to search, though in reality he was struggling to sort out his inner thoughts. This could not go on forever, he knew that...but a few more days, _just two days_, he could keep the stone a tiny bit longer, couldn't he?

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><p>"Why should they betray you?"<p>

Bilbo found himself in the throne room yet again, an effort in which to talk some sense into the king. This felt a common occurrence by now, a daily event. For reasons he did not know, Thorin spoke with him more than he would the others. This gave the hobbit some hope, for he could not find it within himself to give up on his friend.

Thorin's gaze narrowed as he considered the question, an answer to an accusation he made against his own friends and kin. "Because they plot against me, Bilbo. I need to question them...I must question every single dwarf here. I must know for certain." The once powerful king did not even look to the hobbit, allowing a handful of gold coins to shift between his fingers. _Useless. _Completely worthless without the stone. "Bilbo...one of them has betrayed me."

Bilbo looked to the king in disbelief, unsure how he had come to this conclusion. "Thorin...they are your friends, they are loyal to you," he insisted, troubled at the idea of him pointing fingers. What if he wrongly accused one of the company? What was the penalty for treason?

"They_ were_ loyal to me," Thorin spat, his gaze snapping up to the hobbit. Bilbo, he felt he could trust. Despite being a burglar, he did not know the true value of the Arkenstone, he did not know enough, he could not desire it in the way a dwarf would. Bilbo was merely a hobbit, he could trust him...as it was, he was the only one he could confide in. The hobbit did not challenge him as the others did, Bilbo listened. "I cannot trust any of them."

Bilbo looked to him searchingly, as if grasping for the last bit of hope in which to pull him from such an idea. An idea came to him, then. Two of the dwarves he felt that the king should have been the closest to. "What of your nephews? Fili and Kili?"

Thorin's gaze drifted elsewhere, his voice low yet dangerous. "There will be no mercy shown to those who betray me, master burglar."


End file.
